I’ve loved to read for as long as I can remember. As a young kid, I even used to get in trouble with my parents for staying up and reading by torchlight long after I was supposed to be asleep (“you’ll strain your eyes!”). I enjoyed reading so much that later on I chose English Literature as my degree subject at university.
Recently though I’ve neglected my hobby, and it’s honestly not something I feel good about. In the whirlwind that’s juggling work and family life, the notion of just kicking back with a good book is one that’s occurred to me less and less frequently. I must admit that I too often get sucked into a loop of endless social media scrolling or end up binge-watching Netflix instead.
But I really do miss reading!
And apparently I’m also losing out from a wellness perspective. Did you know that reading books offers some amazing (scientifically proven) health benefits? If you don’t believe me, check out this article.
So I’ve decided to challenge myself to start reading again.
While I’m in the process of compiling a TBR list of newer releases, I thought I’d start by revisiting some beloved classic novels. These are my absolute favorites. The ones that I love just as much now as I did when I first read them as a teen or twenty-something. And by some perfect coincidence, five were written by British authors and five were penned by American authors 🙂
So in case you’re also planning to add a few classics to your reading list, and in need of some inspiration, here are my top, not-at-all-boring, oldies but goodies!
